'noles Cling, Gators Sting Bell Hurls Florida By Miami

September 8, 1985|By Tim Povtak of The Sentinel Staff

MIAMI — His running game slowed by an inexperienced offensive line, quarterback Kerwin Bell launched a four-touchdown passing attack, leading the Florida Gators to a 35-23 victory over Miami Hurricanes Saturday night in the Orange Bowl.

As a freshman last season, Bell relied heavily on a running game ignited by a great -- but now gone -- offensive line, guiding the Gators to their finest season.

He relied on himself Saturday. That worked even better.

Before 80,227 bipartisan fans, the largest crowd to see a Miami home game, Bell's passing erased a 21-20 Miami lead after his running game had run out of steam.

After Miami had dominated the third quarter and the early moments in the fourth, Florida regained the momentum and the lead with Bell's pinpoint passing. He was not flashy, just very efficient.

He completed 20 of 28 passes for 248 yards, four touchdowns and, even more importantly, no interceptions.

In the decisive fourth quarter, Bell completed nine of his final 10 passes, including a 18-yard touchdown to Ricky Nattiel and an 8-yard touchdown to Frankie Neal.

The victory, coupled with Brigham Young's loss to UCLA, makes Florida's winning streak of 10 games the longest in major-college football. Coach Galen Hall, who took over after three games last season, remains unbeaten.

In the season opener for both teams, Florida and Miami looked very evenly matched. The difference was that Florida had no turnovers, and Miami lost two fumbles and two interceptions.

Unlike last year when Bell's late-game heroics were erased by Bernie Kosar's miracle passing in Florida's only loss, this time Bell overshadowed everyone.

Miami quarterback Vinny Testaverde, who was starting his first game after sitting behind Kosar for two years, completed 24 of 40 passes for 278 yards and no touchdowns. He was masterful at times but inconsisent overall.

''I like to rise to the challenge and be the man with the ball,'' Bell said. ''I have a lot of confidence in myself and always will. With the great receivers we have, it makes my job easier.''

After it was obvious Miami had bottled the Florida running backs, Bell started unloading in the fourth quarter. Trailing, 21-20, he passed to Nattiel for 28 and then 12 yards, then John L. Williams for another 12.

He finished the drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Nattiel as Florida regained the lead, 26-21. A two-point conversion followed.

After the Gators stopped Miami, Bell took Florida back downfield, finishing the drive with an 8-yard lob to Neal for the clinching touchdown with 2:45 left.

The Hurricanes then drove frantically downfield but Brett Perriman fumbled after catching a pass on the Florida 12. Curtis Stacy recovered with 1:02 left.

Just before the game ended, Florida punter Ray Criswell took an intentional safety, giving Miami another two points.

Miami dominated the third quarter but still trailed, 20-14, as the final quarter began. The Hurricanes grabbed the lead in the fourth but couldn't sustain their momentum.

Miami's first drive of the second half ended on the Florida 15-yard line when a fake field-goal attempt failed. Miami's second drive ended when Alonzo Highsmith scored on a 2-yard run. The third drive was still going when the quarter ended and eventually Testaverde scrambled 13 yards to tie the score. Greg Cox's extra point gave Miami its only lead, 21-20.

In the third period, Testaverde was crisp with his passes, mixing short ones to his backs with deeper ones to his wide receivers.

Florida led, 20-7, at halftime by scoring twice in the final 6 seconds. Both the touchdown, with 6 seconds left, then the field goal as time expired, came after Miami errors.

What looked like a tight 10-7 Florida lead shifted dramatically when Gator safety Vernell Brown recovered a fumble by Highsmith on the Florida 30 just 30 seconds before halftime.

Five plays later, Williams caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Bell, his second scoring pass of the game, with 6 seconds left. Williams caught the swing pass on the 2, then with Miami linebacker Bruce Fleming hanging on, bulled into the end zone.

Miami was called for roughing the kicker on the extra point attempt, letting Florida kick off from the Miami 45. John David Francis' onside kick was recovered by Gerald Dickens with 5 seconds left.

On the next play, Jeff Dawson kicked a 46-yard field goal for a 20-7 lead. Florida scored on its first possession, going 80 yards in 14 plays.

Bell drilled his third completion for an 18-yard score to Nattiel. When safety Ricky Knight intercepted Testaverde's poorly thrown pass on the next series, it looked like the start of a Gator landslide.

Testaverde warmed up, though, in the second quarter and the Miami defense cooled down Florida. Testaverde hit Perriman for 33 yards and Warren Williams for 27 yards, igniting Miami's offense.Williams scored a 4-yard touchdown to tie the score, 7-7, midway in the second quarter.

With the help of a disputed pass interference call in the end zone against Miami's Don Ellis, Florida scored again on the next series with a 17- yard field goal by Dawson.

The field goal with 4:11 left actually was a Miami bright spot. After the pass interference gave Florida first-and-goal from the 1 yard line, the Hurricanes snuffed three runs by Neal Anderson and Florida took a 10-7 lead.